China Critic Suidani Maintains His Seat As The Solomon Islands Election Count Gets Underway.

Roland Tiffany |19th April, 2024.

Members of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) Joint Task Force assist in delivering ballot boxes by NH90 helicopter to remote areas of the Solomon Islands ahead of the upcoming election, Solomon Islands.

According to local media on Friday, the election that China, the United States, and Australia are all eagerly watching has seen the reelection of Daniel Suidani, the former governor of Malaita province and a well-known critic of China in the Solomon Islands.

In the Solomon Islands, provincial and national elections were held this past weekend. The initial results are anticipated to be published on Friday.

The Pacific Islands nation, which the United States and Australia were concerned about because of the potential impact on regional security, signed a security treaty with China in 2022 and moved closer to Beijing. This is the first national election since then Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

According to a Friday morning report by national broadcaster SIBC, Suidani, whose newly formed political party U4C fielded candidates in the national election, was reelected to the Malaita province parliament.

Before losing a no-confidence vote last year, he had accepted US economic funding and prohibited Chinese enterprises from operating in Malaita, the most populated province in the Solomon Islands.

This month, China dispatched its highest-ranking envoy to the South Pacific to sign a memorandum of agreement with the newly appointed governor of Malaita province.

According to SIBC, the counting of votes in Sogavare's East Choiseul electorate would begin on Friday.

Jasper Highwood Anisi, the head of elections, stated on Thursday that there is a significant police presence outside counting locations, providing security.

Election security is being supported by police and defence forces from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Australia.

The election results for the 50 seats in the national parliament, which are due by Monday, will show whether any party has secured a majority or whether coalition talks are required before a prime minister is chosen. The parliamentarians are chosen for four-year terms.